Program: Coney Island. A Spectacular Water Carnival arranged...For Barnum and Bailey's Greatest Show on Earth

Program for Coney Island. A Spectacular Water Carnival, arranged by George O. Starr for Barnum and Bailey's Greatest Show on Earth while it was in Olympia, Kensington, London. Dated December 26, 1898, the booklet claims that the scene is a faithful reproduction of Coney Island, New York, and gives a cast list as well as a summary of the scenes at the performance. There are no illustrations in the text. Barnum is best known for his involvement with the circus that bore his name, but his circus ventures came about when he was in his 60s. The first show was called P.T. Barnum's Grand Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan and Circus. Railroads propelled the circus to success, making it easier to reach a number of locations, and the intake was significant. Barnum then opened the New York Hippodrome with similar acts. In the 1880s, he encountered competition from other circuses. A merger between Barnum's show and the Great London Show of Cooper, Bailey, and Hutchinson formed the Barnum and London Circus. Negotiations in 1887 formed the Barnum and Bailey Circus. The name remained until 1919 when it became the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. It came to an end in May 2017 when the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus ceased performances after 146 years.